Global News

Australia same-sex marriage referendum result

Australians in support of same-sex marriage are celebrating today after over 60% of citizens voted in support of marriage equality.

Although the referendum result is not legally binding, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull took to Twitter to reassure the country, posting: “The people of Australia have spoken and I intend to make their wish the law of the land by Christmas. This is an overwhelming call for marriage equality.”

The postal vote referendum was marred in controversy with critics asking why the move could not be legislated for in Parliament without the need for a referendum – as was the case in Scotland. The move follows the equal marriage referendum in Ireland, which took place in May 2015.

In Zimbabwe, the military have taken control. President Robert Mugabe, is being held under house arrest.

The 92-year-old leader became head of state in 1987, after seven years as Prime Minister.

It is alleged that the military take-over was at least in part caused by the sacking of Vice President Emmerson Mnangawa, who was relieved of his duties last week.

Russia

International tensions between Russia and neighbours are rising. On Monday, Theresa May claimed the Russian government were responsible for planting fake news stories to cause discord in the West.

Yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron told the BBC that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are a threat to Western values, namely tolerance and openness.

The Russian Government have proposed a bill that will require all foreign journalists working in the country to register as ‘foreign agents.’

The state Duma (lower house) voted in favour of the move. It will now come before the Federation Council (upper house) and must be approved by Vladimir Putin.

The move comes in retaliation to ‘RT’ having to register as a foreign broadcaster in the U.S. Formerly ‘Russia Today,’ the media outlet are financed by the Kremlin.

This comes against the back drop of allegations that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections, which Kremlin representatives deny.

Brexit Talks Get Underway

Yesterday, MPs voted in support of a landmark Brexit Bill, which will end the supremacy of E.U. law in the U.K. Ministers voted to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act.

This comes early in eight days of talks on the topic of the Withdrawal Bill, with Britain’s withdrawal from the E.U. scheduled for 29 March 2019 – exactly two years to the day since the triggering of Article 50.

Reports claim the decision to fix the date of the Withdrawal so early in the debating process was criticised by some, but this has been dismissed by those within the Conservative Party as media attempts to divide the party.